Season of Boom

[KimJongBaze]

Next standings update will drop after Week 17 (1 week before the end of the season). Getting wild here

[KimJongBaze]

// Pre-Snap Reads, Week 15: A Defensive Change is Made
// BY TERRENCE ROBINSON

RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks depth chart for their upcoming game against Philadelphia Eagles was released this afternoon, and there was one major change made at defensive line: Jarran Reed slides over from the EDGE to nose tackle, replacing rookie Cameron Young, while Mario Edwards Jr. takes over the empty edge rushing position that Reed left.

It's a change that came somewhat unexpected, but after 2 straight losses and with the playoff race getting tighter each week, perhaps the Seahawks wanted to throw something different towards their opponents in the trenches. Reed isn't a stranger to the nose tackle position, as it was his primary role when he was drafted by Seattle in 2016 coming out of Alabama. The 30-year old has 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season.

Having Edwards Jr. on the field adds more speed to the Seahawks defense, something they may need facing dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts this weekend. As a backup, the 9th-year veteran has recorded 8 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Team News

• The Seahawks and inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks have started preliminary discussions on a new contract, although it is expected that a deal won't be made until the season is finished. Although Brooks has expressed his desire to remain in Seattle, the two sides are reportedly still far apart on terms. The former 1st round pick set a new career-high with 6 sacks and counting this season.

[KimJongBaze]

// Week 15 Preview: Philadelphia Eagles
// BY JEANIE ROTH

SEATTLE, Wash. - The Seahawks have a chance to steal home field advantage and a first round bye away from the Philadelphia Eagles this week when the two teams meet in Lumen Field on Sunday. Seattle is also aiming to snap a 2-game losing streak, with both losses coming in overtime.

Eagles Key Performers

• QB Jalen Hurts: 2,855 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, 1 interception // 578 rushing yards, 6 rushing touchdowns
• HB D'Andre Swift: 762 yards, 7 touchdowns
• HB Rashaad Penny: 258 yards, 10 touchdowns (T-4th in NFL)
• WR DeVonta Smith: 786 yards, 3 touchdowns
• LB Zach Cunningham: 103 tackles, 3 TFL, 4 sacks, 4 INT
• LB Haason Reddick: 48 tackles, 12 TFL, 10 sacks (3rd in NFL)
• DE Brandon Graham: 37 tackles, 11 TFL, 8 sacks (T-8th in NFL), 2 forced fumbles (T-2nd in NFL)

It's not a must-win situation for Seattle, who leads the 49ers by 2 games in the NFC West after losing to them last week. However, Seattle would love nothing more than to potentially claim a 1st-round bye for themselves if they can defeat the Eagles and go on to win the rest of the regular season contests. San Francisco is considered a favorite against the Arizona Cardinals this week, and for as much as the Seahawks defense has struggled this season, we've seen time and time again that their offense can keep them in any game. Will that remain true against the Eagles' top 5 defense?

Philadelphia's offense has been the paragon of selflessness, allowing all of their offensive weapons to flourish. Last season's runner-up MVP Jalen Hurts has amazingly turned the ball over just once this season, boasting a 17 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio. The Eagles have 4 different receivers with at least 3 touchdowns and 400 yards. They also have two players with at least 500 rushing yards (Hurts and D'Andre Swift), while former Seahawk Rashaad Penny leads the team with 10 rushing touchdowns. Swift and Hurts each have 7 and 6 scores, respectively. What will the Seahawks defense do to limit Philadelphia's explosive offense?

Things to Watch For

• Seahawks offensive line vs. Eagles defensive line
  The Eagles rank 3rd in the NFL in sacks (led by Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham) and they are hungry to get after Geno Smith, who has been sacked 33 times this season - 3rd most among starting quarterbacks. At the very least, Philadelphia will want to create apply some pressure on one of the best passers in the league and force him into mistakes. The Niners did just that last week, with Smith throwing his first interception in 5 games. Seattle will want the opposite - keep their quarterback upright and give him time to find his receivers, including D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

• The Eagles' receiving corps vs. Seattle's secondary
  Can the Seahawks stand toe-to-toe against one of the best receiving units in the NFL? DeVonta Smith leads the Eagles with 786 yards, though it can be argued that both he and A.J. Brown (619 yards, 4 touchdowns) are both #1 receivers. Quez Watkins (439 yards, 4 touchdowns) and tight end Dallas Goedert (551 yards, 3 touchdowns) round out the core of Philadelphia's unit. While the Seahawks have had consistent play from Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon in more recent weeks, the team continues to struggle with a 3rd cornerback on the field. Teams have taken notice and are taking advantage.

[KimJongBaze]

WEEK 15: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS vs. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Lumen Field // Seattle, WA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | OT || FINAL
PHI (10-4) | 21 | 13 | 3 | 0 | - || 37
SEA (10-4) | 3 | 10 | 7 | 18 | - || 38
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Kenneth Walker III's dive towards the goal line was successful to give the Seahawks a 38-37 lead over the Eagles in the 4th quarter.

// Magic in Seattle: Seahawks erase 21-point deficit to defeat Eagles
SEATTLE, Wash. - Lumen Field erupted when Kenneth Walker III's 2-point conversion was successful and when the Seahawks defense shut down Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles on their final offensive drive to complete a 21-point second half comeback and win their 10th game of the season.

Seattle's resilience was put on full display at home, with the team rallying behind Geno Smith on offense to erase not only a 21-point deficit after halftime, but a 17-point deficit in the 4th quarter. Much credit should also go to the Seahawks defense, which allowed only 3 points in the second half and Philadelphia to convert on just 1 of 10 third down attempts.

Things couldn't go more wrong for the Seahawks in the first half, when they allowed the Eagles to score 34 points. Jalen Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and Kenneth Gainwell for scores, and Darius Slay Jr. recorded a pick-six in the 1st quarter as the Seahawks saw Philadelphia put up 4 touchdowns. They were trailing 13-34 at halftime, with their only touchdown coming from a pick-six thanks in the second quarter thanks to Jordyn Brooks.

Smith was intercepted twice in the first half and was sacked 6 times, and D'Wayne Eskridge fumbled not once, but twice on kickoff returns, with one being recovered by the Eagles that led to Brown's 7-yard touchdown in the 1st quarter. The Seahawks turned the ball over 3 times in the first half.

However, the Seahawks did not give away the football in the second half, and in tandem with their defense managed to outscore the Eagles 25-3 in the final two quarters. When asked about his decision to go for 2 points instead of tying the game with an extra point after Smith found D.K. Metcalf for a 3-yard touchdown with 35 seconds remaining, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that there was no reason not to.

"I had a lot of confidence that we would be able to convert. The team had a lot of confidence. We could feel the entire stadium [pause]...we knew that the 12s had confidence in us." Carroll also joked that there was no need for his team to play a 3rd straight overtime game. "I'm done with those for a while."

The 12s - the nickname given to Seattle's fanbase - was louder than ever this season when Walker somehow managed to evade free-blitzing linebacker Nolan Smith and another Eagles defender in the backfield and dive towards the goal line, barely breaking the plane to give the Seahawks a 38-37 lead. The 2-point conversion was ultimately the right decision, as the Seahawks were able to stop Hurts on the next drive when a pass intended for backup tight end Albert Okwuegbunam was broken up by Tariq Woolen. Woolen once again held the opposing team's best receiver to minimal yardage - A.J. Brown finished with just 18 yards. The Seahawks defense also held the Eagles to 70 rushing yards as a team on 20 carries and sacked Hurts 6 times - 1.5 sacks came from Jarran Reed, who made the switch from defensive end to nose tackle this week.

Metcalf tied a season-high with 9 catches to go along with 142 yards and the touchdown, bouncing back nicely from the Niners game last week in which he recorded just 3 catches for 21 yards. Tyler Lockett's 87 yards leaves him just 11 yards shy of recording his 5th consecutive 1,000-yard season. And Smith's 3 second half touchdowns gives him 31 for the season, a new career-high.

Up next for Seattle are the Tennessee Titans.

Scoring Summary

• 1st Quarter
  [SEA] Jason Myers, 45-yard field goal [8:53]
  [PHI] DeVonta Smith, 50-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (J. Elliott kick) [3:50]
  [PHI] A.J. Brown, 7-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (J. Elliott kick) [3:01]
  [PHI] Darius Slay Jr., 38-yard interception return (J. Elliott kick) [1:45]

• 2nd Quarter
  [SEA] Jason Myers, 27-yard field goal [10:49]
  [SEA] Jordyn Brooks, 27-yard interception return (J. Myers kick) [10:36]
  [PHI] Kenneth Gainwell, 27-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (J. Elliott kick) [6:18]
  [PHI] Jake Elliott, 50-yard field goal [3:28]
  [PHI] Jake Elliott, 48-yard field goal [0:07]

• 3rd Quarter
  [SEA] Noah Fant, 14-yard pass from Geno Smith (J. Myers kick) [7:18]
  [PHI] Jake Elliott, 31-yard field goal [5:09]

• 4th Quarter
  [SEA] Jason Myers, 20-yard field goal [14:14]
  [SEA] Tyler Lockett, 15-yard pass from Geno Smith (J. Myers kick) [5:54]
  [SEA] D.K. Metcalf, 3-yard pass from Geno Smith (2-point conversion good) [0:35]

Notable Player Stats

• Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)
  Jalen Hurts, QB: 18 of 26 (69%), 292 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT (112.9 passer rating) // 5 carries, 30 yards
  DeVonta Smith, WR: 2 receptions, 65 yards, TD
  Kenneth Gainwell, HB: 3 receptions, 43 yards, TD
  Avonte Maddox, CB: 16 tackles, TFL
  Sydney Brown, S: 15 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack
  Justin Evans, S: 8 tackles, TFL, 1 sack, INT
  Jalen Carter, DT: 5 tackles, 3 TFL, 2.5 sacks
  Darius Slay Jr., CB: 2 tackles, TFL, INT, TD

• Seattle Seahawks (10-4)
  Geno Smith, QB: 24 of 42, 318 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT (85.2 passer rating)
  Kenneth Walker III, HB: 20 carries, 94 yards
  Deejay Dallas, HB: 10 carries, 13 yards, TD
  D.K. Metcalf, WR: 9 receptions, 142 yards, TD
  Tyler Lockett, WR: 6 receptions, 87 yards, TD
  Noah Fant, TE: 4 receptions, 62 yards, TD
  Quandre Diggs, S: 9 tackles, INT
  Jordyn Brooks, LB: 6 tackles, TFL, INT, TD
  Jarran Reed, DE: 3 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks
  Uchenna Nwosu, LB: 3 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks

[Soapy]

gotta survive DK and those roid rages

[KimJongBaze]

gotta survive DK and those roid rages

facts.

[KimJongBaze]

// AROUND THE NFL - WEEK 15 \\

// Bills become 1st team to clinch playoff spot
A 24-19 victory over the Dallas Cowboys sent the Buffalo back to the postseason for a 4th consecutive year behind an MVP-worthy season from Josh Allen. The Bills, however, have some work left to do before clinching home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs with Kansas City (10-4) on their tail following a Monday night win over the New England Patriots. The Bengals (10-4) and Ravens (10-4) are also in contention for a first-place finish in the AFC with 3 games remaining.

Here were other things to note for Week 14:

• Falcons, Buccaneers claw their way back to get closer to Panthers for NFC South lead
  Atlanta (7-7) and Desmond Ridder (248 yards and 4 touchdowns) put together a statement win over the Carolina Panthers to pull within 1 game of the NFC South lead, while the Buccaneers behind Baker Mayfield have won 2 straight games to get to 7-7 as well. What were good odds for the Panthers (8-6) to win the division just a few weeks ago has turned uncertain but they still hold the keys to the division. To add another obstacle: the Panthers will be without cornerback Jaycee Horn for the rest of the season, and perhaps the playoffs, after suffering a quadriceps tear in the loss to the Falcons.

• The North...doesn't remember that you need to win in order to take the division
  Neither the Bears (8-6), Packers (8-6), or Vikings (8-6) looked like they wanted to take sole control of their division this weekend with all three teams losing - the Bears could not prevail on the road in Cleveland, Green Bay lost by 1 at home to Tampa Bay, and Minnesota lost by 2 points in Cincinnati. Here are the remaining opponents for each team:
  
  Bears: Cardinals, Falcons, and Packers
  Packers: Panthers, Vikings, and Bears
  Vikings: Lions (twice) and Packers

• What's going on in Miami?
  The Dolphins haven't been the same team since Jalen Ramsey's return. We thought he would make the team even better, instead the Dolphins are now losers of 4 straight. It's certainly unfair to pin their woes on a single player, as it's mainly been Miami's offense that was struggled during the 4-game slide. They failed to score at least 20 points in a game during their losing streak, but what is concerning is that it's happened against the Jets twice and the Commanders, bottom feeders in their respective divisions. If the season were to end today, the Dolphins would still make the playoffs, but that can instantly change next week.

--------------------------------------------
NFL Scores: Week 15, 2023

• [35] Los Angeles Chargers // Las Vegas Raiders [21]
• [35] Atlanta Falcons // Carolina Panthers [14]
• [19] Denver Broncos // Detroit Lions [21]
• [14] Minnesota Vikings // Cincinnati Bengals [16]
• [10] Chicago Bears // Cleveland Browns [24]
• [38] Pittsburgh Steelers // Indianapolis Colts [17]
• [20] Tampa Bay Buccaneers // Green Bay Packers [19]
• [28] New York Jets // Miami Dolphins [16]
• [20] New York Giants // New Orleans Saints [27]
• [14] Houston Texans // Tennessee Titans [37]
• [38] San Francisco 49ers // Arizona Cardinals [17]
• [3] Washington Commanders // Los Angeles Rams [28]
• [19] Dallas Cowboys // Buffalo Bills [24]
• [37] Philadelphia Eagles // Seattle Seahawks [38]
• [21] Baltimore Ravens // Jacksonville Jaguars [7]
• [31] Kansas City Chiefs // New England Patriots [26]

Key Matchups for Week 16

• Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
• Buffalo Bills (11-3) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (7-7)
• Green Bay Packers (8-6) vs. Carolina Panthers (8-6)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
• Dallas Cowboys (10-4) vs. Miami Dolphins (8-6)
• New England Patriots (7-7) vs. Denver Broncos (7-7)
• Baltimore Ravens (10-4) vs. San Francisco 49ers (8-6)

Players of the Week

• Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons: 20 of 32, 248 yards, 4 touchdowns
• Jordyn Brooks, LB, Seattle Seahawks: 6 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
• Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets,: 22 of 31, 259 yards, 3 touchdowns // 23 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
• Desmond King II, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers: 6 tackles, 2 interceptions

Notable Transactions

• No transactions

Injury Report

• Ryan Jensen, C, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Season (knee)
• Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets: Season (achilles)
• Chuck Clark, S, New York Jets: Season (knee)
• Frankie Luvu, LB, Carolina Panthers: 1 week (foot)
• Tyler Conklin, TE, New York Jets: 1 week (foot)
• Cameron Hayward, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 weeks (ankle)
• Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions: 1 week (knee)
• J.K. Dobbins, HB, Baltimore Ravens: 1 week (knee)
• Antonio Gibson, HB, Washington Commanders: 1 week (back)
• Nelson Agholor, WR, Baltimore Ravens: 4 weeks (ankle)
• Semaje Perine, RB, Denver Broncos: 3 weeks (knee)
• Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: 1 week (finger)
• Grady Jarrett, DT, Atlanta Falcons: 3 weeks (ankle)
• Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers: 7 weeks (quad)

[KimJongBaze]

// Seahawks Health Report: Lewis, Edwards Jr. to miss rest of regular season
// BY ADAM MILLER

RENTON, Wash. - Seattle's thrilling 38-37 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles came at a cost, with the Seahawks losing two starters in the process.

Offensive guard Damien Lewis finds himself back on the injury report, this time with broken ribs. It's been a rough season for the 4th-year guard from LSU, who missed 3 weeks earlier in the year. Lewis has been a key part of an offensive line that is helping the Seahawks lead the NFL in rushing yards per game. It is expected that he will be replaced once again by rookie Anthony Bradford, who also got the starts in Lewis' absence against the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals.

Lewis is expected to be back for the playoffs, should the Seahawks make it.

Mario Edwards Jr. has also been sidelined for the remainder of the regular season by being diagnosed with a torn labrum in his first start. The Seahawks have several options to choose from to replace him: move Jarran Reed from nose tackle back to defensive end, or elevate edge rushers Myles Adams and Mike Morris into the starting role. Both players have seen minimal playing time this season.

[KimJongBaze]

// Pre-Snap Reads, Week 16: Nwosu's quietly good season, Geno's turnovers, and the Injury Bug
// BY TERRENCE ROBINSON

RENTON, Wash. - In the midst of all the talk surrounding Seattle's defense, there has been one constant, and that is linebacker Uchenna Nwosu's dominating performance.

Nwosu hasn't been talked about all that much this season, nor has he garnered any attention from the NFL in general, but the pass rushing specialist has quietly been putting together the best season of his career. Through 14 games, Nwosu has tallied 45 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks, which surpasses the career-high he set last season with 9. Those sack numbers also rank him second in the NFL behind Micah Parsons. Nwosu has recorded 5 sacks in the Seahawks' last 2 games.

The linebacker was signed as a free agent back in 2022 after spending his first 4 years with the Chargers. This summer, he and the team agreed to a three-year extension, and we already seeing it pay dividends for both the Seahawks and Nwosu. Head coach Pete Carroll has praised Nwosu for his work ethic and leadership skills, saying, "Uch is a prime example of what we want to see from our players every week. He's the first guy in the facility and the last one to leave. All about football and not about the drama."

Nwosu has an opportunity to add to his new career-high in sacks in the Seahawks' final 3 games of the regular season.

Team News

• Carroll was not concerned about quarterback Geno Smith's recent run-in with interceptions in the last 2 games. Smith, who threw just 4 interceptions in the team's first 12 games, has been picked off 3 times in the last 2 contests. He's confident the veteran quarterback will figure it out.

• With offensive guard Damien Lewis and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. out for the rest of the season, the Seahawks are thin on depth yet again, which could potentially spell trouble for them down the stretch. The team is committed to relying on their current roster to play out the rest of the year.

[Captain Canada]

The end of this season is really revving up the drama. These last three games have been nuts. I would be losing my mind playing through them myself. Good stuff Baze, really running the show here.